Our world is haunted by death. We don't always see it, but it's always there. In Luke 7, we read two stories of how Jesus haunts death. He can stop it. He can reverse it. And one day he will destroy it altogether.
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It's easy to agree with Jesus that loving one's enemies is good. It's hard to practice, though, which is why hypocrisy is tempting for every Christian. Jesus concludes his sermon on love by teaching us how to identify and root out hypocrisy.
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"Judge not lest you be judged." It's one of Jesus' most famous sayings, and one of the hardest to practice. We judge without thinking. How can we stop? Listen as C.J. finds himself and our church in this passage, and calls us to remember the gospel of grace.
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What does it mean when Jesus asks us to love our enemies? The idea sounds true and good and beautiful, but the reality is so hard. Is Jesus being good to us when he asks us to endure hostility from others? Listen as Dave walks through the who, what, why, and how of loving our enemies.
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Jesus begins his first big block of teaching in Luke with, "Blessed are you who are poor, hungry, sad, and hated... Woe to you who are rich, full, glad, and liked." Jesus' Beatitudes are both famous and baffling. This is not normally how we would describe blessing. What do they mean and why do we need them?
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Both the Pharisees and Jesus agreed that the Sabbath was important, but the Pharisees forgot why. In Luke 6, Jesus shows how legalism confuses the signs of faith with its substance, and replaces a relationship to God with rules.
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Jesus is doing a new thing, and he invites us to reframe the way we think about him by using three illustrations: you wouldn't fast at a wedding, patch an old garment with a brand new piece of cloth, or pour new wine into old wine skins. Jesus always surprises us, and this story is no exception.
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Jesus invites Levi the tax collector to leave everything and follow Him. In doing this, Jesus demonstrates His love for even the most hated members of society.
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Jesus encounters 2 men who need healing; a leper and a paralytic. Both of their stories have something to teach us about ourselves and how we respond to Jesus.
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Jesus is gaining a following. He turns his attention to a simple fisherman named Peter who must ask himself whether he can follow Jesus not just because of His teaching and miracles but because of His holiness
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In Luke 4, we see two opposite reactions to Jesus' teaching and healing in Nazareth and Capernaum. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, but he felt at home in Capernaum. C.J. encourages us to ask, How can we be more like the people of Capernaum?
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Most people begin a movement by attempting to persuade others to follow him. Jesus begins his movement by offending hearers. Listen as CJ walks through opening sermon of Jesus.
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Before Jesus begins his ministry, God sends him into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Why would God do this? And who even is the Devil really? Christians believe in a robust spiritual war. Listen as Dave walks through this admittedly weird passage.
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In Luke 3, John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus by channeling the Old Testament prophets, calling people to a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus called him the greatest of all men. Still, he was not enough.
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We continue our series in the book of Luke, moving ahead to the very first words spoken by Jesus as a 12 year old in the temple. It is striking to hear what Jesus says and the implications of this for us. He is doing a new thing. We have a new kind of relationship with the Father because of His relationship with the Father.
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This week begins our new series in the gospel of Luke. C.J. helped us understand the author, audience, and purpose for the book and called us to become like Theophilus, a beloved friend of God, who is seeking to know who Jesus is and what He has done.
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Easter Sunday is the most important day of the year for Christians celebrating the most important event of all time. In Chapter 24, Luke wants us to know three things: the Resurrection is true; it's important; and the disciples weren't expecting it.
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On Palm Sunday, Jesus moves from a private ministry to a public one. He rides into Jersusalem on a donkey to unequivocally declare Himself the King of the whole world. But is He the kind of King the people are looking for? Is He the King we want?
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